How to Fix Your PS3 From Skipping

The Sony PlayStation 3 console is used for Blu-ray disc, DVD, and high definition gaming. The console is unique among its generation, in that it is equipped with a Blu-ray optical drive. Like any machine with such a drive, it is possible to experience intermittent skipping. There are several reasons for this problem, and most are easy to fix.

Insert a CD lens cleaner into the PS3. Scroll down and highlight the "Audio CD" option on the Xross Bar. Select it with the "X" button on the controller. Allow the disc to proceed through its process, wiping the lens clean of dust and contaminants.

Place an extra set of rubber feet under the console to further isolate it from external vibrations. Eject any disc-based media from the unit. Turn it over, placing the new feet at each corner of the unit. This also helps cool the console through increased airflow under and around the unit.

Remove the console from a speaker or subwoofer, if it is resting on one. The cabinet vibrations from these components can cause the PS3 to skip under bass-heavy passages. Additionally, unshielded speakers may cause damage to the console's internal hard drive from the free magnetic field present.

Clean your disc-based media regularly. Contaminants such as fingerprints, small scratches, and dried liquid will refract the laser, causing mistracking and skipping. Wipe from the center to the outer edge in straight lines, using a damp scratch-free cloth. Never wipe a disc in a circular pattern, since that causes new scratches to follow the pits on the disc.

Send the unit into Sony service, if all else fails. A mis-alignment inside the unit may be causing it to skip. In this case, there is no remedy available to the consumer that does not involve opening the console up -- which voids any existing warranty.